Softball Sweeps Panthers To Take Series

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Softball Sweeps Panthers To Take Series

Martinez drives in four, including both game-winners

Kelly Martinez drove in four runs, including the gamep-winner in both games, as the Bucs swept the Panthers. Photo by Joel Auerbach.

MIAMI SHORES, Fla.—The Barry Buccaneers swept the Saturday doubleheader from the Florida Tech Panthers 3-1 and 4-2 to take the Sunshine State Conference softball series two games to one at Buccaneer Field.

FIRST GAME

The Bucs (22-16, 7-11 SSC) scored one in the first and two in the second and Taylor Sabol (7-7) tossed a complete game and struck out nine as Barry evened the series.

Julie Brito ripped an RBI single up the middle to score Megan Copeland in the first inning. In the second, Alexis Kent singled to right to lead off the inning. Pinch runner Kate Hehre moved up to second on a sacrifice by Camille Czarnecki. Cheyanne Head hit a bouncer into the hole at short and the Panthers made a play for Hehre going to third, but third baseman missed the tag and both runners were safe. Kelly Martinez dropped down a perfect squeeze bunt to score Hehre and Kayla Ogle followed with a single to score Head.

Sabol made the runs stand up, setting down 15 of the last 19 batters she faced. She allowed seven hits and walked one. Taylor Smith (7-12) took the loss for the Panthers. She worked 5.1 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on eight hits and three walks.

SECOND GAME

Martinez belted a three-run homer, her first of the season, in the fifth inning to erase a 2-1 deficit and lead the Bucs to the win in the rubber game.

The Panthers (23-22, 8-13 SSC) struck for two runs in the first inning off Barry starter Britney Pugh (7-5). Elaine Brown drew a lead-off walk and Kelsey Donahue followed with an infield single. After a ground out, Nicole Shinsky squeezed in Brown and Peterson drilled a single through the right side to score Donahue.

Pugh, who put four on in the first inning, settled down to retire 18 of the last 23 batters, aided by a pair of double plays.

The Bucs cut the lead to 2-1 in the fourth. Like the first inning of game one, with Copeland on second with two outs, Brito pulled a single through the left side to score the run.

In the fifth, Pugh drew an 11-pitch walk with one out and Head blooped a single over the head of Panther second baseman Amanda Bueno. Martinez worked the count full, fouling off three pitches, before launching her first homer of the season over the left field fence.

For the Panthers in the sixth, Brigit Godfrey led off with a single and Shinsky follow with a soft liner into shallow center field that fell in front of Ogle. Godfrey had to hold on the play, but then tried to advance and Ogle alertly gunned her out at third. Shinsky, trying to advance on the throw, was picked off at second by Kristina Pazienza.

In the seventh, Tech had runners at first and second with one out, but Bueno lined out to Martinez and second and she flipped to Head to double up Jessica Callahan.

Pugh went the distance for the Bucs, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks and struck out one. Rachel Pence (14-10) took the loss for Tech, giving up four runs on six hits and three walks in six innings.

The Bucs play at Palm Beach Atlantic on Tuesday, Apr. 15, then head to St. Petersburg, Fla., to take on the Eckerd Trition on Thursday and Friday.

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